 Fel iawn,bugaf mathol, rwy'n gynellu'r p mentredทeahelau cyhoeddi a dweudodau dyma, ac dweud ei gemdal iawn i chi oedd, publyniol ar Bw loadedg G 당f Emma Kapfer. Aments riding strategy, teddy wind mechanism, y ddysgufyn y mae an imposeid下去 s gnw responsible I. Y gallr defny bli disease Cymru Mark to Fi, Ak MMO, Fod Barbara Shale Amser compares Diolch mor hyn yssw mycket Oes iawn Spe bermutus upso ddym ni ysgol ei fân yn ddysgawr ar ddoach ar gyfer aelodau sydd gyhor. Efallai adlu gwlad gyda'r buss-serferol i'r hanfod, a fyddai ddysgawr ar wlad ar gyfer gwaith resistanceau oeddech chi'n dechrau. Eitwm gael eu chiwnaeth aminhannu oeddech chi'n ei wneud i gael i gêmwyr â'u 12,000 oeddechrau ar gyfer wahant hwn ysgolwyr szyf yn y ddrwyng. Fe allanon nhw lleiwyr i'r ddechrau ar gyfer Gweithredu Gwaith. that is aged under twenty one in twenty eighteen. We'll also be providing three months free bus travel for recipients of the jobs grant aged between sixteen and twenty four once this benefit comes into force. Polly McNeill. I thank the minister for that comprehensive answer. The Minister will be aware that Naomi Eisenstadt, the Government's adviser on poverty recently said that there needs to byw i'r ffocus i'r fichwm adeiladau maes y maes 14 o 19 oes. Ify o'r alig y maes 16 o 17 oedd, mae'n ddigon iawn i ni o fnithol ar gyfer y maes 18 o 21 oes. Rwyf oed oo daten, yn i alig, ac yn i gyfweld y maes, mae'n ffasiau yn ginwch. Ar gyfer y maes 16 o 16 o fferty, y maes sy'n gallu cyffredinol o gyllidag llwyddiol. Mydisciplinary although stor space debate three many. Not withstanding what the minister has said to the chamber today about the various discount schemes available. In those discount schemes they are required to travel off-peak or spend more than £12 on those fares. I think that it's time to focus on transport policy for that age group. I think that it enhances that independence. I think that the government needs to go further if it wants to ensure that young people see that there's i'r pwylltau mwyafolol i gael i ddweud. I know the constructive approach that Pauline McNeill has taken with me thus far on this issue. We are due to meet, in fact, later today for this issue. I would just reiterate that there are discount schemes there. A third off any registered bus service, between ages 16 to 18, that same third discount for rail passengers for most rail journeys, ond I do not discount what she says at all. We are going through the process of the national transport strategy review, looking at the potential inequality that she describes as would be a wise move for us to take. I am more than willing to work closely with Pauline McNeill—the Scottish youth parliament have also approached me about that issue as well. Of course, there are financial constraints. She understands those but I am willing to be as open minded to see what we can do at at the moment we have those discount schemes and they are working and they are working well, but notwithstanding that, I look forward to our meeting later today. To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde meets its A and E waiting times target. The Scottish Government's national unscheduled care team has been working closely with the local teams across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, especially the Queen Elizabeth University hospital and the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. The team is supporting implementation of the six essential actions and the implementation of an action plan, which was agreed with the chairman of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in December 2016 for the Queen Elizabeth hospital. The action plan for the Queen Elizabeth focuses on priority actions that will minimise delays for patients in the A and E and immediate assessment unit, including enhanced staffing for extended periods throughout the day, evenings and weekends, focus on enhanced discharges early in the day from all areas of the hospital, and enhanced escalation measures introduced into patient flow meetings held three times per day. A number of those actions have been implemented so far and we have started to see results, especially in the IAU, where waiting times have been reduced by 7 per cent each points and the number of appropriate discharges have increased. The performances across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in January 2017 was 89.3 compared to Scotland at 91.8. In the year to January 2017, the performance was 92.2. I recognise that more needs to be done to ensure a sustainable improvement in the performances across Greater Glasgow and Clyde, including the Queen Elizabeth. My officials meet regularly with the chairman and his senior management team and continue to support progress against the action plans. Annie Wells. I thank the minister for that answer. The Queen Elizabeth has been the lowest 13 times out of 20 in the past 20 weeks. Despite the Scottish Government's target of 95 per cent of patients to be seen within four hours of arriving at a hospital, the Queen Elizabeth had the lowest compliance of any individual site, with 81.7 per cent of patients being seen in the required time. That target has not been met for a single week since last September last year. What will the minister do to improve access to emergency care in Glasgow? I have already said that there has been a number of actions taken forward. The Government officials continue to meet regularly with the chairman. We are working closely with the local team to support prompt recovery and support sustainable improvements in A and E and the IAU. The support team is made up of people with clinical improvement expertise. That is led by the Queen Elizabeth clinical director for medicine and supported by the national unscheduled care team. We are beginning to see improvements. We concede that more is needed to be done. That is why our Government officials are working very hard and closely with professionals at the Queen Elizabeth. Can the cabinet secretary please advise the chamber how many A and E consultants were employed by NHS Greater Glasgow and Cline in 2007? How many are in post now? What impact has been on patient care? In September 2007, there were 25 full-time equivalent consultants specialising in emergency medicine in NHS Greater Glasgow and Cline. To inform the member, in December 2016, there were 75 full-time equivalent consultants specialising in emergency medicine in NHS Greater Glasgow and Cline. That is an increase of 50 full-time equivalents, or 200 per cent, under the SNP Government. 3. John Lamont To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what it is doing to support sustainable rural bus services. The Scottish Government will provide bus subsidy of £53.5 million a year in 2017-18. The subsidy of the bus service operators grant that BSOG has paid directly to operators whose aim is to support overall bus network and help passengers with the cost of fares. In 2012, the basis of BSOG was changed to payments made on the distance run by vehicles, which particularly benefits rural areas where bus services are longer. We have maintained the base rate of BSOG at 14.4 pence per kilometre, showing our commitment to the Scottish network and, in particular, in rural areas. In addition to that, local authorities are funded through the block grant to subsidise bus services that they deem socially necessary in 2015-16. The spend on that was £59 million. John Lamont I thank the minister for that response. The minister will be aware of the recent takeover of first groups' border operations by border buses that are limited. I was encouraging to hear that some services are being expanded, but the long-term future of some other lifeline bus routes on the borders is still unclear. With council budgets being cut across Scotland, local authorities' subsidies are being withdrawn, meaning that some rural routes are simply no longer commercially viable. In light of the comments by first group that the impact of the border railway was the main reason for their decision to withdraw, is it that minister confident enough work has been done to understand the impact of the new rail line on rural bus routes? John Lamont The border railway is a great success. I think that people across the chamber recognise that success. I spoke to Colin Craig of West Coast Motors. By the way, he would be very keen and happy to talk to the member as well. He gave some very key reassurances. First of all, the jobs would be protected and I think that is important for the local economy. The second reassurance he gave was around service continuity. He said that he took over on Sunday morning and that services have not been impacted, have not been affected and have been running smoothly since. Of course, it will be up for the private company, the commercial company, to look at its long-term service provision in that area. However, Colin Craig gave a very strong reassurance that the first thing that he will be doing is looking at making efficiencies within the company, structurally how they can make those efficiencies, as opposed to tweaking or indeed withdrawing certain routes. I would say to him that the Government is providing through the block grant money that is available for local authorities to be able to subsidise, as he describes, its socially necessary services. On top of that, I would encourage him to speak to Colin Craig at West Coast Motors, who is making an investment of £3 million in 30 new buses within that fleet for the boarders. I certainly got reassurances. I am sure that he would get those reassurances too. Christine Grahame Thank you, Presiding Officer. I am notwithstanding the scaremongry by John Lamont about boarders buses, it does not want the railway to be extended through his constituency. My constituency is generally impressed and cautiously optimistic about the takeover by West Coast motors under the delivery of boarders buses. I met Colin Craig recently, and I was impressed by him. I would ask the minister if he could arrange—he would be happy to have a meeting with me and Colin Craig to discuss the future for the bus services throughout the boarders and Midlothian, and, as he did with me, welcome the success of the boarders railway. John Lamont After her put-down of John Lamont, I will be happy to do whatever Christine Grahame wants me to do. I will be more than happy to have a meeting with her and, indeed, Colin Craig. It is important that, in fairness to those across the chamber—I see Rachael Hamilton here as well—people recognise the success of the boarders railway. She has mentioned it before. I think that people across the chamber have mentioned it before. Are there things that we can look at to improve the boarders railway in future years? We have committed, of course, to look at feasibilities of extensions. We will do that, but we will also celebrate and welcome that success, but we will also make sure that bus services and provision of bus services continue, particularly in our rural areas. Mike Rumbles The representatives of bus companies told me just this morning that they are being discouraged from promoting the use of the free bus pass. That would be very helpful, especially for areas in rural Scotland, particularly in the north-east that I represent. Could the minister tell me whether that is actually Government policy to discourage the promotion of the free bus pass for rural bus services? If it is, could he explain why? I would be happy to hear that it is not Government policy to do that. Alexander Burnett To ask the Scottish Government what help it provides to nurseries in the north-east of Scotland. The Government has done more than any previous administration or, indeed, the UK Government to expand and invest in early learning and childcare. We have provided an additional £10.9 million of revenue funding to Aberdeen City Council and £14.6 million to Aberdeenshire over the period 2014-15 to 2016-17 to support expansion to 600 hours through local authority nurseries and private and third sector providers. Over the same period, we have provided additional capital funding of £5.4 million to Aberdeen City Council and £8.7 million to Aberdeenshire Council. Mike Rumbles I thank the minister for that response. Four weeks ago, I asked the First Minister to support a nursery facing closure due to hikes in business rates. We have no help forthcoming from the Scottish Government or additional assistance provided to Aberdeenshire Council. That nursery has now closed its doors. Parents are now unable to find nursery places and are unable to return to work, including a newly qualified GP. Can the minister explain how any of his news addresses the issues faced by either the nursery, people wanting to return to work in the north-east, or the well-publicised shortage of GPs? Mike Rumbles Let's just deal with the facts in relation to Bridges' Nursery, shall we, Presiding Officer? Bridges' Nursery operates two facilities in West Hill in Mr Burnett's constituency, the one in Lawsondale Avenue and the one in Arnhall, sorry. The nursery at Lawsondale Avenue is the one that is closing. It provides no funded places funded through Scottish Government or local authority funding. However, council officials have advised that the company's Arnhall nursery will continue to be open and all the children attending Lawsondale Avenue nursery will be offered a space at the company's Arnhall nursery premises. Mr Burnett might like to check his facts on that. While he is checking his facts on that, he might want to reflect on the fact that £660 million of business rates relief that this Government has invested was voted against by him in this chamber. The local business rates relief that was put in place by Aberdeenshire Council was voted against by his Tory colleagues in Aberdeenshire. Before he comes to this chamber and tries to spin a yarn, he should check his facts first. To ask the Scottish Government what upgrades are planned for the A75. Minister Humza Yousaf. Since 2008, the Scottish Government has invested more than £50 million in six road improvement projects along the A75. I set out in the programme for government the forthcoming review of the strategic transport projects review. We will assess recommendations for strategic transport infrastructure priorities in Dumfries and Galloway, including the A75 corridor and the rest of Scotland. As the member knows, I visited Springhome and Crockatford recently, where I held positive discussions with residents and businesses on further traffic management measures. Thank the minister for that response. I would also like to thank the minister on record for taking the time last week to come to Springhome and Crockatford in my constituency to hear first hand the concerns of the residents who face the daily nightmare of huge numbers of lorries travelling to and from the ferry port in Cairnryan. I welcome the commitments made by the minister to improve traffic calming measures in the A75. However, having now visited the route to recognise that action must be taken, I am sure that he will see for himself that traffic calming is simply not enough to solve the problem. Given that the draft national transport strategy review is not expected until next year, with the strategic transport projects unlikely to follow until sometime in 2019, will the minister recognise the immediacy of the problem and commit to an accelerated process to bring the desperately needed bypasses for Springhome and Crockatford? I would also ask the minister to explore how the Government can mitigate the huge burden of road upgrade costs to rural businesses adjacent to the A75 when seeking planning permission to expand. There is clearly, when I met some of the residents, some of the businesses, there was mixed views. Some of the businesses, like one or two of the shops, said that a bypass would take traffic away from their local shop and they would not be in favour. Bearing in mind, of course, some residents are very much in favour of that, and I think that we have to say at the moment that that is a long-term ambition. As he rightly says, we have a process that we go through the national transport strategy strategic projects review as well. For the time being, the reverse discrimination lights that we are looking to bring in at Springhome plus some of the measures that we said will explode at Crockatford, I have said that we will look to bring them forward as quickly as we possibly can. I hope that that will give the member some reassurances. Let me just say that we had a good Dumfries and Galloway transport summit organised, of course, and called for by my colleague here, Joan McAlpine, where we have on-going actions that the member and the public can keep on top of and see the progress on. Joan McAlpine, thank you very much. Does the Government agree with me that it is vitally important that appropriate projects for the A75 and other roads are identified locally and put forward for the STPR for consideration? Furthermore, does the A75 acknowledge that prioritising the stretch between Dumfries and Gretna would bring about the greatest economic benefit to the area? Just briefly, I think that the member makes a very good point and what I would say to her and thank her again for calling for that summit, which the Deputy First Minister and I attended, that we are open-minded to suggestions that will come forward in the STPR review. In terms of that stretch of road that she talks about, I can confirm that that will be given consideration when we do the review of the STPR. Colin Smyth. On the issues of projects being brought forward for the A75, the minister will be aware that, in 2009, when the local transport agency Swestrans undertook a stag appraisal of possible road improvements in Dumfries and Galloway, one option that he assessed was duelling the A75 between Gretna and Dumfries, but that option was deemed at the time not to be cost-effective due to the criteria used in such assessment. Does the minister recognise therefore the need to review that criteria to ensure that the significant economic benefits to Dumfries and Galloway of duelling the A75 are properly recognised? An issue, of course, which is raised at the transport summit that the minister refers to. I do not think that it is necessary to review the criteria, although I am more than happy to listen to his suggestions. Otherwise, I think that he would understand that there are competing priorities across the country. Wherever I travel across the country, people would like to see understandably so improvements to their local area, to their local constituencies. We are always looking to be as accommodating as we possibly can, but all of that has to be within the financial constraints that we are under. Of course, if he has specific suggestions that he would like me to look at again within the STPR refresh, I am open-minded to doing so. To ask the Scottish Government how it supports residential care for older people in rural areas. The Government has integrated our health and social care services, one of the most significant reforms since the establishment of the NHS, allowing health and social care partnerships to make decisions that are right for their local communities, including those who live in a rural area. We have taken actions to protect our social care services and deliver on our shared priorities. In the coming year, there will be almost half a billion pounds of NHS investment in social care and integration. Part of that investment will support the continued delivery of the living wage for care workers, supporting adults and sustainability within the sector. The formula used in the distribution of the Government's funding to local authorities takes into account a number of needs-based factors, including rurality and additional cost of providing services to island communities. The Scottish Government will continue to work with NHS boards, local authorities and other stakeholders to drive up the quality in all our communities to ensure that appropriate social care provision is available. The minister will be aware of news that the Haven Care Home in Uigh Sky has announced its closing in a matter of weeks, which is clearly a matter of concern to current residents and relatives. Could the minister assure me that the Scottish Government will provide what support it can to ensure that there is continuity of care for residents? As with all care home closures, the safety and wellbeing of residents is paramount, and we absolutely recognise the concern expressed by Kate Forbes on this issue. We have discussed this matter with the NHS Highlands, who are working in partnership with the provider and families to seek alternative provision for the current residents and will provide whatever support to local agencies that we can to help them to address this issue. In all cases where a closure occurs, the care inspectorate will work closely with the provider, residents and individual health and social care partnerships concerned to ensure that the health and wellbeing of every resident is assured and that any changes required are implemented with minimal disruption. Again, I am happy to meet Kate Forbes to provide further reassurance should she wish that to be undertaken. Thank you very much. That concludes General Questions. Before we turn to our next item of business, I am sure that members would like to join me in welcoming to our gallery his excellency Mr Arkady Shagotsky, ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the United Kingdom.